The search function of a website is a severely underrated element in any Lakeland web design. However, when you stop to think about it, the search function is one of the ways your website communicates with the user. Many people take the search function for granted until they need it, and it’s important that your website can meet that demand when it arises.
Websites that are very content heavy benefit significantly from the search function. If you have regular visitors looking for a specific article or image, and your search function doesn’t help them find what they need, they may give up on your website out of frustration. To prevent that from happening, here are some ways to maximize the search function on your website.
Make sure the search function is somewhere easily seen, and that you maximize its features
We all know that user experience is supposed to be intuitive, and that the web design that you create must help achieve that. The search function on your website is supposed to help maintain the intuitivity of the user experience. With that in mind, it’s very important that the search option is supposed to be somewhere that users expect to find.
In most sites, this is typically found in the upper-right corner of the page, or in the upper-middle. Users do not typically expect the search function to appear in the upper left, as this is where the menu is usually found. Overall, the search function must be maintained in the upper portion of your site.
Another thing to note is the size of the search function field. It shouldn’t be too short that it cuts off users’ search queries. If it is too short, it makes it difficult for users to review and edit their searches.
Don’t erase the search query after the users have searched for it
When users search for something and fail to find it, they usually go back to the search option and edit their search as needed. If you remove their search query from the input field after they have searched for it, you may be forcing them to re-type the entire query again before they can amend it as needed.
Make use of auto-suggestion
Auto-suggestion is a great way to help users find the right keywords to user in order to search for what they need. If you have a good auto-suggestion function in place, this is supposed to help streamline users’ efforts in searching for whatever it is they need on your site. Make sure your auto-suggestion function is optimized, providing the suggested keywords to the user in as quickly as the first four inputted characters. Also make sure that the suggested items are relevant to the user, otherwise this provides no help to the user whatsoever.
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